Apparatus and method for transferring flaccid articles

ABSTRACT

A machine for sorting stockings according to length by the use of movable suction nozzles that selectively remove stockings from a conveyor belt and transport them to transferred locations in response to sensing of the lengths of the stockings. The suction nozzles are equally spaced adjacent an edge of the conveyor belt for engagement of the welt end portions of stockings that are supported transversely on the belt at spacings equivalent to the spacing of the nozzles, which move transversely of the belt to transport stockings with the engaged welt end portions leading to transferred locations. Length sensing components are disposed adjacent each nozzle location to sense the presence thereat of stockings of a particular length as the stockings are sequentially advanced by the conveyor belt, with the sensing components at different nozzle locations sensing the presence of stockings of different lengths. The suction nozzles are responsive to the adjacent sensing components for transfer by each nozzle of stockings that are sensed to be of the particular length that is to be transferred by that nozzle, with each nozzle being inoperable when no stocking or a stocking of a different length is at the nozzle location.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Leslie Starbuck Gedling, England [21] Appl. No. 851,313 [22] Filed Aug. 19, 1969 [45] Patented Oct. 19, 1971 [73] Assignee Speizman Industries, Inc.

Charlotte, N.C.

[54] APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TRANSFERRING FLACCID ARTICLES 32 Claims, 13 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 209/74, 209/82, 271/1, 271/74 [51] Int. Cl B07c 3/06 [50] Field of Search 271/1, 68,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,299,690 10/1942 Giese 271/74 UX 2,578,779 12/1951 Black 271/74 X 2,999,686 9/1961 Cheeseman 271/26 X 3,291,282 12/1966 Pedagno 271/74 X Primary Examiner-Richard A. Schacher Attorneys-Channing L. Richards, Dalbert U. Shefte, Francis M. Pinckney and Richards and Shefte ABSTRACT: A machine for sorting stockings according to length by the use of movable suction nozzles that selectively remove stockings from a conveyor belt and transport them to transferred locations in response to sensing of the lengths of the stockings. The suction nozzles are equally spaced adjacent an edge of the conveyor belt for engagement of the welt end portions of stockings that are supported transversely on the belt at spacings equivalent to the spacing of the nozzles, which move transversely of the belt to transport stockings with the engaged welt end portions leading to transferred locations.

Length sensing components are disposed adjacent each nozzle location to sense the presence thereat of stockings of a particular length as the stockings are sequentially advanced by the conveyor belt, with the sensing components at different nozzle locations sensing the presence of stockings of different lengths. The suction nozzles are responsive to the adjacent sensing components for transfer by each nozzle of stockings that are sensed to be of the particular length that is to be transferred by that nozzle, with each nozzle being inoperable when no stocking or a stocking of a different length is at the nozzle location.

PATENTEnDm 19 1911 SHEET 2 BF 9 ATTORNEYS PATENTEBum 19 1am SHEET 3 [1F 9 mm mm hm mm 6 INVENTOR LESLIE STARBUCK A 77' ORNE Y5 PATENTEU E 19 3,6 13,8 83

SHEET 4 []F 9 FIGURE 6 IIVVE/VTOR LESLIE STARBUCK ATTOR/VE Y5 PATENTEDnrI 19 um SHEET 5 [IF 9 U Ema En INVENTOR LESLIE STARBUCK ATTORNEYS PATENTEUUEHBIH?! 3,613,883

. SHEETBUF 9 oooooooooooooioooooo 0.0.0.0000... oom/ooooooooooooooooo FIGURE 8 FIGURE 10 FIGURE 9 INVENTOR LESLIE STARBUCK ATTORNEYS mm 19 IHYI SHEET- 90F 9 A TTORNEYS APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TRANSFERRING FLACCID ARTICLES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for transferring flaccid articles, and more particularly to such an apparatus and method utilizing a suction nozzle for engaging and holding an edge portion of a flaccid article while advancing the noule with the engaged article edge portion leading to transport the article to a transferred location.

Flaccid articles, such as textile products, are difficult to handle mechanically, particularly in a manner that will retain the articles in a particular laid out orientation. For example, in inspecting and sorting stockings according to size, the stockings must be transferred from a surface on which they are inspected and gauged for size to surfaces on which they are collected according to size, preferably in a laidout orientation for convenience in subsequent handling, which is also often facilitated by collecting the stockings in stacks. However, because of the difficulty in handling such flaccid articles mechanically, most hosiery mills presently have the inspecting and sorting operations performed manually at a substantial cost in time and labor. Attempts to mechanize the inspecting and sorting operations have heretofore been commercially impractical due to the complicated nature of the devices and the resulting high cost as well as the unreliability in maintaining the stockings in a fully laidout condition and in stacks for convenience in further handling. For example, Milliken U.S. Pat. No. 2,853,188, issued Sept. 23, 1958, discloses a stocking sorting machine having a plurality of trays on which stockings are laid out for inspection and which carry movable pins that are positioned by movable sensing heads for subsequent actuation of release mechanisms that allow the trays to pivot over selected receptacles so that the stockings will fall from the trays into the receptacles. This prior art machine is not only complicated and, therefore, expensive, but it also does not reliably function to transfer the stockings in a laidout and stacked orientation due to the manner in which the stockings naturally fall from the trays.

Other examples of machines for sorting stockings are disclosed in Smith U.S. Pat. No. 3,331,506, issued July 18, 1967, and Kronsbein U.S. Pat. No. 3,206,023, issued Sept. 14, 1965, both of which are special application machines that require initial disposition of stockings on forms from which they are removed by clamping mechanisms, with the latter of these patents being further complicated by the use of a suction-type conveyor belt for transferring the removed stockings to contamers.

In contrast, the present invention provides a simple, effective, and relatively inexpensive method and apparatus for transferring flaccid articles, such as stockings, in a laidout orientation simply by suction nozzle engagement of an edge I portion of the article and movement of the nozzle in a direction in which the engaged edge portion is leading so that the flaccid article will remain in its laidout orientation during transfer.

Suction has been used heretofore, as, for example, inthe aforementioned Kronsbein U.S. Pat. No. 3,206,023, and in various other forms for handling articles, but as far as is known suction has not been used to transfer flaccid articles in the simple and effective manner of the present invention.

The present invention is particularly applicable to a multiple suction nozzle arrangement wherein the nozzles are operated selectively to transfer selected articles by each nozzle, with sensing means disposed adjacent each nozzle for sensing the presence of an article having a particular characteristic and with the nozzles operating in response to the sensing means.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly described, the method of the present invention involves the steps of placing a flaccid article on a supporting surface in a particular orientation, disposing a movable suction nozzle at an article engaging location adjacent an edge portion of the article, creating suction in the nozzle to cause the article edge portion to be engaged and held thereby while advancing the nozzle with the article edge portion held thereby in a direction in which the article edge portion is leading to transport the article to a predetermined transferred location, discontinuing suction to release the article at the transferred location, and returning the nozzle to its article engaging location.

In the preferred embodiment of the method of the present invention flaccid articles are placed sequentially at a predetermined spacing on a horizontal conveyor belt that moves lengthwise, a plurality of suction nozzles are disposed superjacent the conveyor belt adjacent the path of edge portions of the articles at spacings equivalent to the spacing of the articles, and suction is created while the nozzles advance in timed relation to the disposition of articles at the nozzles, with the nozzles advancing in a direction transverse to the belt. Each nozzle is selected for suction and advance in response to sensing of the presence of an article thereat having a particular dimensional characteristic so that each nozzle transfers articles having the same characteristic, as for sorting stockings according to length. The nozzles are advanced at a velocity sufficient to maintain the articles above receiving surfaces disposed below the level of the conveyor belt until the articles are released by discontinuance of the suction, and the velocity is controlled to deposit the articles in substantially flat condition on the receiving surfaces or an a stack of previously transferred articles on the receiving surfaces.

Briefly described, the apparatus of the present invention includes a supporting surface disposed for supporting flaccid articles in a particular orientation, a movable suction nozzle disposed adjacent the supporting surface at an article engaging location at which an edge portion of a supported article will be disposed between the nozzle and the supporting surface, means for creating suction in the noule to cause the article edge portion to be engaged and held thereby, and means for moving the nozzle with the article edge portion engaged and held thereby in a direction in which the edge portion is leading to transport the article to a predetermined transferred location. The nozzle moving means moves the nozzle in an article transferring stroke and a return stroke, and the suction creating means operates in relation to nozzle movement to create and maintain article engaging and holding suction during the article transferring stroke and to discontinue suction upon completion of the article transferring stroke and during the return stroke.

Preferably, the article is transferred to a separate receiving surface at a horizontal disposition below the level of the conveyor belt, and the nozzle moving means moves the nozzle at a velocity sufficient to maintain the article above the receiving surface or a stack of previously transferred articles thereon during transfer for deposit of the article in flat extended condition on the receiving surface or article stack at the end of the article transferring stroke.

Also preferably, means are included for sensing a dimensional characteristic of an article with the suction creating means and nozzle moving means being operable in response to the sensing means for transfer of an article sensed to have a particular dimensional characteristic.

In the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention the article-supporting surface is the surface of a conveyor belt on which a plurality of equally spaced, commonly oriented, flaccid articles are disposed, and means are provided for moving the conveyor belt lengthwise to advance supported articles sequentially to a plurality of suction nozzles at articleengaging locations aligned aligned at lengthwise spacings equivalent to the spacing of the articles and aligned with article edge portions that extend generally lengthwise with respect to the belt. The nozzles are operated by suction creating means and nozzle moving means to engage articles and transport them in an article transferring stroke transverse to the belt and with the engaged article edge portions leading.

Means are provided for selectively operating the suction creating means and the nozzle moving means to transport articles selectively as they are sequentially advanced to the nozzles. The selection of operation of each nozzle is determined by sensing means that senses the presence at each nozzle location of an article having the particular dimensional characteristic of articles to be transferred by that particular nozzle, with articles of different dimensional characteristics being transferred by different nozzles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stocking inspecting and sorting machine incorporating the preferred embodiment of the apparatus for transferring flaccid articles of the present invention and capable of operating in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the method of transferring flaccid articles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan of the machine of FIG. 1, partially broken away;

FIG. 3 is a left-side elevation of the machine of FIG. 1, partially broken away;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one of the stocking transfer stations of the machine of FIG. 1, showing a stocking in position for sensing and transfer, and showing the suction nozzle in its retracted position prior to movement in a stocking transferring stroke;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, showing the suction nozzle extended at the end of a stocking transferring stroke;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the components at the sensing means end of the stocking transfer station of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic plan of the stocking transfer station of FIG. 4 showing the pneumatic and electrical circuits schematically;

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the perforate suction intake surface at the underside of the suction nozzle of FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged vertical section of one pair of components of the sensing means at the stocking transfer station shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the upper component of the pair of sensing means components shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a schematic wiring diagram of the electrical circuitry of the machine of the preceding figures;

FIG. 12 is an elevation of the electrical control panel of the machine of the preceding figures; and

FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic plan of an alternative sensing means arrangement that may be substituted in the machine of the preceding figures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The preferred embodiment of the method and apparatus for transferring flaccid articles of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in detail herein incorporated in a stocking inspecting and sorting machine 20 that includes a conveyor belt 21 having a horizontal upper reach that serves as a supporting surface 22 on which stockings S are placed at a loading station 23 for inspection thereat and advancement sequentially to a plurality of stocking transfer stations 24 at which movable suction nozzles 25 are disposed for selective operation through the use of suction creating means 26 and nozzle moving means 27 to engage and hold stockings S while the nozzles 25 advance to transport the stockings S from the belt 21 to predetermined transferred locations on receiving surfaces 28 of collection trays 29 disposed at each transfer station 24. The nozzles 25 are selectively operated to transfer stockings S of different particular lengths at each transfer station 24, for which purpose the nozzles 25 are responsive to sensing means 30 located at each transfer station 24 and operable to sense the presence of sequentially advancing stockings S of the particular length of the stockings that are to be transferred at each station. Thus, the stockings S are automatically sorted and collected in separate stacks according to length on the receiving trays 29.

The components of the machine 20 are mounted on a main frame 31, which supports means for moving the conveyor belt 21, including an electrical drive motor 32 mounted at the front end of the machine 20 below the conveyor belt 21 and drivingly connected through a chain and sprocket connection 33 to a belt drive roller 34 that extends horizontally across the front end of the frame 31 and is rotatably supported thereby in end bearings 35 projecting from the frame 31. The conveyor belt 21 is trained around and driven by the drive roller 34, from which the upper and lower reaches of the belt 21 extend horizontally and rearwardly for training of the belt around a horizontal idler roller 36 that is rotatably mounted in end bearings 37 adjustably mounted at the rear of the frame 31.

The upper reach of the conveyor belt 21 is supported in a horizontal disposition by a plurality of flat wooden slats 38 that are mounted on the frame 31 and extend transversely thereacross under the upper reach of the belt 21 at locations intermediate the several stocking transfer stations 24, and the lower reach of the conveyor belt 21 is supported in a horizontal disposition by small idler rollers 39 that are mounted on the frame 31 and extend horizontally thereacross under the lower reach of the belt 21 at spaced locations.

The belt drive roller 34 is rotated by the drive motor 32 in a direction that causes the upper reach of the conveyor belt 21 to travel lengthwise rearwardly to advance stockings S supported thereon sequentially from the loading station 23 to the several stocking transfer stations 24.

The upper reach of the conveyor belt 21 is exposed at the loading station 23 to permit an operator to place stockings S individually thereon from a supply of stockings S to be inspected and sorted, which stocking supply is conveniently disposed on a platform 40 extending horizontally across the frame 31 above the conveyor belt 21 at the loading station 23 rearwardly of the exposed end of the belt 21. The stockings S are sequentially placed individually on the conveyor belt 21 in a common orientation and at equal spacings, with each stocking extending transversely with respect to the belt 21. The stockings S are oriented on the belt 21 with edge portions, i.e., the stocking welt portions W, at the left edge of the belt 21, as viewed in FIG. 1, and with the stocking leg portions L generally aligned with apertures, such as slots 41, formed in the belt 21, which slots 41 extend transversely with respect to the belt 21 near the right edge thereof for disposition thereover of at least part of the foot portions F of stockings S of lengths within the overall range of lengths being sorted by the machine 20. The slots 41 are equally spaced along the length of the belt 21 at spacings sufficient for sequential spaced disposition of the stockings S on the belt 21. The slots 41 also provide openings in the belt 21 to permit sensing of the presence of stockings S thereat by the sensing means 30 at the stocking transfer stations 24 as will be described hereinbelow.

The belt 21 is intermittently advanced with dwell periods intermediate intermittent movements. To control the belt drive motor 32 for this purpose, the belt 21 is provided with forma tions in the form of holes 42 closely adjacent the right edge of the belt 21 in transverse alignment with the aforementioned slots 41 and at lengthwise spacings along the length of the belt equivalent to the spacing of the slots 41. A stationary sensor in the form of an electrical microswitch 43 is mounted on the frame 31 and projects over the path of the holes 43 for engagement therein. When each hole 42 advances to be engaged by the switch 43, the switch will act in response thereto to open the electrical line to the drive motor 32, stopping the motor and belt, and to close an electrical circuit that applies a braking current to the motor to assure positive stopping of the motor and belt with the slots 41 in proper position at the loading and transfer stations 23 and 24.

The stocking transfer stations 24 are located along the machine 20 at lengthwise spacings with respect to the belt 21 equivalent to the spacings of the aforementioned belt slots 41 with the station closest to the front of the machine 20 being spaced two belt slot spacings from the loading station 23 for simultaneous disposition of belt slots 41 at the loading station 23 and each transfer station 34 during each dwell period of the belt 21. In the embodiment illustrated, there are stocking transfer stations 24 at which sequentially advancing stockings S are simultaneously disposed at stocking engaging locations of the aforementioned suction nozzles 25 with successive nozzles operating to transfer stockings S of progressively greater length and the nozzle at the last transfer station operating to remove all previously untransferred stockings remaining on the belt 2ll.

The suction nozzles 25 are disposed superjacent the supporting surface of the upper reach of the conveyor belt 21 at article-engaging locations at each transfer station 24, and are aligned at lengthwise spacings equivalent to the spacing of supported stockings S. Each nozzle is aligned with the welt portions W of the stockings S, which extend generally lengthwise with respect to the belt 21 and are disposed between the nozzles 25 and belt 21 during the aforementioned dwell periods intermediate the intermittent belt movements. The nozzles 25 extend generally coextensively with the stocking welt portions W transverse to the direction of nozzle movement for engaging and holding the welt portions W substantially fully thereacross, and, as seen in N68. 4 and 8, the nozzles 25 have flat perforate suction intake surfaces 44 facing the belt 211 at a spacing therefrom sufficient to allow disposition of the stocking welt portions W therebetween.

The suction creating means 26, which creates suction at the perforations 45 in the nozzle surfaces 44 to engage and hold the stocking welt portions W thereat, includes at each stocking transfer station 24 a horizontally extending stationary suction tube or cylinder 46 mounted in brackets 47 projecting from the frame 31. These stationary cylinders 46 are axially aligned with the direction of movement of the nozzles 25 and are connected at the right side of the machine 20, through elbow connections 43, and conventional butterfly valves 49, to a vacuum manifold 50 that extends along the right side of the machine 20 and that is connected to a vacuum pump 156 (FIG. 11). A movable suction tube or cylinder 51 is slidably mounted in each stationary cylinder 46 for telescopingly slidable movement coaxially therewith, and has an outer end 52 connected to the adjacent nozzle 25 for movement therewith and for connection of the nozzle 25 to the vacuum manifold 50 for creating suction at the nozzle surface 44, with the cylinders 46 and 51 being telescopingly extendable to maintain suction in the nozzle 25 during movement thereof. The movable suction cylinders 51 have air ports 53 near their inner ends, which air ports 53 are normally inoperatively disposed within the stationary cylinders 46 and are operatively exposed exteriorly of the stationary cylinders 46 upon movement of the movable cylinders 51 with the nozzles 25 to the end of a stocking transferring stroke thereof, at which the exposed air ports 53 allow outside air to enter the movable cylinders 51 to facilitate discontinuance of stocking engaging and holding suction in the nozzles 25.

The nozzle moving means 27 includes at each stocking transfer station 24 a transversely extending support beam 54 that is mounted to the frame 31 and extends across and above the conveyor belt 21 parallel with the direction of movement of the adjacent nozzle 25. Secured on this support beam 54 is a longitudinally grooved guide rail runner 55 in which a guide rail 56 is horizontally slidable parallel to the direction of nozzle movement. The guide rail 56 is supported in relation to the guide rail runner 55 for sliding cantilever extension therefrom by a holddown roller 57 and a support roller 58. The holddown roller 57 is mounted on a bracket 59 projecting from the support beam 54, with the holddown roller 57 being disposed over the guide rail runner 55 in holddown engagement with the top surface of the guide rail 56. The support roller 58 is mounted on a bracket 60 projecting beyond the left end of the support beam 54, with the support roller 58 being spaced from the holddown roller 57 in the direction of guide rail extension and being in supporting engagement with the underside of the guide rail 56 to form a supporting couple in cooperation with the holddown roller 57. 4

At its extending end, the guide rail 56 has a mounting 611 secured thereto and depending therefrom, to which mounting 61 a nozzle attaching bracket 62 is secured in vertical adjustment through a pair of vertically aligned slot, bolt and nut connections 63. Secured to the nozzle attaching bracket 62 is a horizontal rod 64 extending forwardly toward the aforementioned movable suction cylinder 51 and connected to a collar 65 that is fixed by a setscrew 66 on the movable cylinder 51 immediately adjacent the nozzle 25. With this arrangement, movement of the guide rail 56 is transmitted directly into corresponding movement of the nozzle 25, with the guide rail 56 providing support for maintaining the nozzle 25 and movable cylinder 51 in horizontal disposition. Sliding movement of the guide rail 56 to effect reciprocation of the nozzle 25 is produced by a piston rod 67 having an end bolted to a vertical flange 68 of the guide rail mounting 61 and extending parallel to the guide rail 56 into a pneumatic cylinder 69 secured to the underside of the support beam 54. The piston rod 67 is reciprocated by air pressure introduced alternately into the opposite ends of the cylinder 69 to impart reciprocation to the suction nozzle 25 in stocking transfer and return strokes.

Each nozzle 25 is moved in its stocking transfer stroke a distance sufficient to remove stockings S completely from the conveyor belt 21 and transfer them onto the adjacent receiving tray 29, which is disposed below the horizontal level of the belt to permit the stockings S to remain above the tray 29 during substantially the entire stocking transfer stroke so that the stockings S will remain in a substantially laidout orientation during transfer and will be deposited on the tray 29 or stack of previously transferred stockings thereon in a flat extended condition. The velocity of the nozzles 25 during movement in the stocking transfer stroke is controlled by adjustment of the air supply to the pneumatic cylinder 69 to produce a velocity sufficient to maintain the stockings S above the tray 29 or stocking stack during the transfer stroke, but limited to assure deposit of transferred stockings S in flat extended condition without wrinkling or folding due to continued movement of the stockings S after the nozzle 25 stops at the end of its transfer stroke.

The trays 29 are supported on a frame extension 70 at the left side of the machine 20 from which they are freely removable for transporting of transferred stockings S elsewhere for further processing, with empty trays 29 being substituted for removed trays during continued operation of the machine 20.

The length of the stocking transferring stroke of each nozzle 25 and the reversal of movement to effect the return stroke is controlled by means that includes an electrical microswitch 71 mounted on the support beam 54 and projecting over the guide rail 56 at a location for engagement by a switch operating cam block 72 mounted on the top of the guide rail 56 adjacent its inner end when the guide rail 56 has moved to the end of the stocking transferring stroke. When actuated by the cam block 72, the control means switch 71 closes an electrical circuit that functions to reverse a control valve 73 in the air supply to the nozzle reciprocating cylinder 69, thereby terminating the stocking transfer stroke and effecting the return stroke. When actuated, this control means switch 71 also functions to open an electrical line to the solenoid actuator 74 that controls the aforementioned butterfly valve 49, causing the valve to close, thereby discontinuing suction in the nozzle to release a transferred stocking S.

The aforementioned air control valve 73 (FlGS. 6 and 7) is of a conventional double solenoid type that is operable to shift between a position in which an air conduit 75 connected to the right end of the nozzle-reciprocating cylinder 69 is opened to a main air supply conduit 76, and an air conduit 77 connected to the left end of the nozzle-reciprocating cylinder 69 is opened to an adjustable exhaust port 78, in which position the nozzle 25 is caused to move in its stocking transferring stroke, and a position in which the left end air conduit 77 is opened to the main air supply conduit 76 and the right end air conduit 75 is opened to an adjustable exhaust port 79, in which position the nozzle is caused to move in its return stroke and remain in position over the conveyor belt 21 until the air control valve 73 is subsequently reversed. The main air supply conduit 76 is connected to a manifold air conduit 80 that extends along the right side of the machine 20 and is connected to an air pump (FIG. 11). The exhaust ports 78 and 79 allow escape of air from the ends of the cylinder 69 to permit movement of the piston rod 67 under the action of the air entering the cylinder, and are adjustable to vary the velocity of piston rod movement to obtain the aforementioned control of the velocity of nozzle movement.

Transfer of stockings S by the nozzles 25 is controlled by means 81 for selectively operating the suction creating means 26 and the nozzle moving means 27 for selective operation to transport stockings S selectively to transferred locations on the trays 29 as the stockings S are sequentially advanced to the nozzles 25. This selectively operating means 81 includes and is responsive to the aforementioned sensing means 30, which senses a particular characteristic of the stockings S. In the machine of the illustrated embodiment, the characteristic sensed by the sensing means 30 is a dimensional characteristic, i.e., the length as measured from the outer edge of the welt portion W to the outer edge of the foot portion F adjacent the heel portion H, and the selective operating means 81 is responsive to the sensing means 30, which functions adjacent each nozzle 25, to cause each nozzle to transfer sequentially advanced stockings S having the same sensed length, with different nozzles 25 transferring stockings S having different sensed lengths.

The sensing means includes at each stocking transfer station 24, except the last, two pairs 82 and 83 of opposed components 84 and 85 between which the belt 21 travels and between which a belt slot 41 is disposed during each belt dwell period for sensing stockings S thereat. The component pairs 82 and 83 are spaced apart in the direction of the stocking length and operate to sense the presence at the slot 41 of a stocking S having a length that disposes the stocking foot portion F between the pair 82 that is inward with respect to the stocking length, i.e., to the left, and not between the pair 83 that is outward, i.e., to the right. The lower component 85 of each pair is disposed below the conveyor belt 21 and is in the form of an orifice in the top surface 86 of a common air supply tube 87 that extends horizontally from the aforementioned manifold air conduit 80. With this arrangement an air jet is emitted from each orifice through the belt slot 41 toward the upper sensing means component 84 of each pair, which upper sensing means component 84 is responsive to the air jet for sensing a reduction in the pressure of the air jet due to the presence of a stocking S, which partially blocks the air jet.

The upper sensing means components 84 are mounted on a support plate 88 projecting horizontally from the right side of the frame 31 over the conveyor belt 21 and having apertures 89 vertically aligned with the orifices of the lower sensing means components 85 for passage of the air jets therethrough. As seen in FIGS. 9 and 10, each upper sensing means component 84 includes a housing 90 mounted on the support plate 88 by pins 91 extending through the housing 90 and holes 92 in the plate 88. The housing 90 has a bottom opening 93 vertically aligned with the support plate air jet aperture 89 for passage of the air jet therethrough, and is open to the atmosphere thereabove to provide a chimney effect. An inverted bowl-shaped vane 94 is disposed in the housing 90 in the path of the air jet for sensing the pressure thereof. This vane 94 is secured to a pivot rod 95 that is mounted on a pivot shaft 96 at a horizontal spacing from the vane 94, with the rod 95 extending beyond the shaft 96 to provide a mounting for a counterbalancing nut 97 that is threadably adjustable on the rod 95 to vary the sensitivity of the vane 94. The rod 95 is formed with an upstanding end 98 adjacent the vane 94 for contact with an adjustable contact screw 99 mounted in line with the upstanding rod end 98 on a conductor strip 100 that is secured to the housing 90 and extends therefrom for connection in an electrical sensing means circuit 105 to be described in detail hereinafter. The pivot shaft 96 is mounted across an inverted U-shaped member 101 that is secured by a screw 102 to the housing 90, which screw 102 also serves to attach to the housing a conductor strip 103 that is also connected in the aforementioned electrical circuit 105. The adjustable counterbalancing nut 97 is adjusted so that the air jet will pivot the vane 94 upwardly to force the upstanding rod end 98 into circuit closing contact with the screw 99 when there is no stocking S blocking the air jet, with the weight of the vane 94 as counterbalanced by the nut 97 causing the vane 94 to be positioned with the upstanding rod end 98 in open circuit disposition out of contact with and below the screw 99 when the air jet is at least partially blocked by a stocking S disposed over the conveyor belt slot 41 in the path of the air jet.

The upper sensing means component 84 of the inner pair 82 of components is connected in the electrical circuit so that when a stocking S is disposed thereat the controlling portion of the circuit will provide an electrical indication of the presence of a stocking S, and the upper sensing means component 84 of the outer pair 83 of components is connected in the electrical circuit 105 so that when no stocking S is disposed thereat the controlling portion of the circuit will provide an electrical indication of the absence of a stocking S. Thus, the component pairs 82 and 83 function to sense the presence of a stocking S of a length at least as great as that sensed by the inner pair 82 of components and less than that sensed by the pair 83 of components.

There is an inner pair 82 of sensing means components 84 and 85 at each stocking transfer station 24 with all of the inner pairs 82 aligned lengthwise with respect to the conveyor belt 21 so that each inner pair 82 senses the same minimum stocking length, but the outer pairs 83 of sensing means components 84 and 85 are at progressively increases spacings from the inner pairs 82 so that progressively greater stocking lengths will be sensed at sequential nozzle locations.

At the last of the stocking transfer stations 24, only an inner pair 82 of sensing means components 84 and 85 is provided, there being no outer pair. Thus, the sensing means 30 at the last station will sense the presence of any stocking S of a length at least as great as that sensed by the inner component pair 82 without limitation to a maximum length so that the adjacent nozzle 25 will transfer all stockings S of lengths greater than those transferred by preceding nozzles.

As an alternative to the above-described arrangement of two pairs of sensing means components, a simplified single pair arrangement may be used. As illustrated in H0. 13, this alternative arrangement utilizes a single pair 104 of sensing means components at each stocking transfer station 34, with the components being identical to those previously described and electrically connected in the same manner as the previously described inner pair 82 so that the nozzles 25 will function in response to the sensing means 30 to transfer stockings S at least as long as the length sensed by the adjacent component pair 104. The component pairs 104 are located progressively closer to the left side of the machine 20 at rearwardly sequential stocking transfer stations 24 so that all stockings S of lengths as long as or longer than a maximum length will be removed at the stocking transfer station 24 closest to the loading station 23 and stockings S of progressively shorter lengths will be removed at sequentially rearward stations.

Another alternative sensing means arrangement could utilize a series of sensing component pairs at a single-sensing station in advance of the stocking transfer stations and operable to determine the length of each stocking advancing through the station, with the length determination being programmed for operation of each nozzle to remove the stockings of the length to be transferred thereby when such stockings arrive thereat.

The electrical circuit 105 of the sensing means 30 of the two component pair embodiment has identical portions associated with each two pair set of components. One of these identical circuit portions is illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 11. It includes a relay driving unit 106 to one side of which is connected both a line 107 containing the upper sensing means component 84 of the inner pair 82 and a line 108 containing the upper component 84 of the outer pair 83. To protect the contacts of the upper sensing means components 84 for extended reliable operation, the current in the lines 107 and 108 is restricted to a very small amount by the relay driving unit 106. The opposite side of the relay driving unit 106 has connected thereto a main line 109 from a first main power source terminal 110, a first relay control line 111, and a second relay control line 112. The relay driving unit 106 connects the main line 109 with the first relay control line 111 when the contacts of the upper sensing component 84 of the inner pair 82 are closed in response to the absence of a stocking S thereat, and connects the main line 109 with the second relay control line 112 when the contacts of the upper sensing component 84 of the outer pair 83 are closed in response to the absence of a stocking S thereat.

The first relay control line 111 contains the operating coil 113 of a first relay 114 and is connected to a sensing control line terminal 115. This first relay 114 includes a normally open holding switch 116 in a bypass line 117 connected between the main line 109 and the first relay control line 111 so that when the first relay operating coil 113 is energized, the holding switch 116 will be closed to maintain operating current through the coil.

The second relay' control line 112 contains the operating coil 118 of a second relay 119 and is connected to the sensing control line terminal 115. This second relay 119 includes a normally open holding switch 120 in a bypass line 121 connected between a parallel branch 109 of the main line 109 and the second relay control line 112 so that when the second relay operating coil 118 is energized the holding switch 120 will be closed to maintain operating current through the coil. The second relay control line 112 also contains a normally closed switch of the first relay 1 14, which opens when the first relay is actuated and thereby prevents actuation of the second relay 119 when the first relay 114 is actuated.

The second relay 119 also contains a normally open switch 123 connected in a third relay control line 124 that also contains the operating coil 125 of a third relay 126 and is connected between the first main power source terminal 110 and a timing line terminal 127. Thus, actuation of the second relay 119 results in actuation of the third relay 126, which actuation is maintained by a normally open holding switch 128 in the third relay 126. This holding switch 128 is in a line 129 connected between a second main power source terminal 130 and the third relay operating coil 125 and bypasses the second relay switch 123.

The third relay 126 also contains a normally open control switch 131 in a line 132 connected between the holding switch line 129 and the third relay control line 124. This control switch line 132 contains the aforementioned actuator 74 for the butterfly valve 49 of the suction creating means 26 so that stocking engaging and holding suction is created at the suction nozzle when the control switch 131 is closed during actuation of the third relay 126. Connected across this control line 132 for control by the switch 131 is a nozzle advancing control line 133 that contains one solenoid 134 of the aforementioned air control valve 73, which solenoid 134, when energized, shifts the air control valve 73 for feeding air to the right side of the cylinder 69 to cause the nozzle 25 to move in its stocking transfer stroke. This nozzle advancing control line 133 also contains a normally open microswitch 135 mounted on the aforementioned support beam 54 above the guide rail 56 for switch closing engagement thereof by the aforementioned cam block 72 when the guide rail 56 is in its fully retracted position. Thus, when the third relay 126 is actuated with the guide rail 56 retracted, the air control valve 73 will be shifted to cause nozzle advancement, which moves the cam block 72 away from the switch 135 so that it opens to allow subsequent shifting of the air control valve 73 to effect return movement of the nozzle 25 when the cam block 72 contacts the aforementioned microswitch 71 at the left end of the support beam 54, which switch 71 is normally connected in the holding switch line 129 and is shifted by cam block engagement to open the holding switch line 129, thereby deactuating the third relay 126 which causes the suction valve actuator 74 to close for discontinuance of nozzle suction, and to close a bypass line 136 that contains the other solenoid 137 of the air control valve 73, which solenoid 137, when energized, shifts the air control valve 73 for feeding air to the left side of the cylinder 69 to cause the nozzle 25 to move in its return stroke.

The third relay 126 further contains a normally open counter switch 138 in a line 139 connected between the third relay control line 124 and a counter terminal 140, from which terminal 140 a line 141 containing a counter 142 extends to the first main power source terminal 110. Thus, the counter 142 is actuated to register a stocking count every time the third relay 126 is actuated.

The above-described sensing means circuit 105 at each stocking transfer station 24 may be disconnected from the remainder of the circuit for maintenance or to operate the machine with less than all stocking transfer stations active, by removing a control link 143 that is connnected across both the main line 109 and the parallel branch 109' thereof.

The main electrical circuit 144 (FIG. 11) of the machine 20, which main circuit includes the above-described sensing means circuits 105 at each stocking transfer station 24, is energized by a conventional three-phase electrical power source (not shown) connected at main terminals 145 from which lines 146 extend across a main isolator switch 147 and fuses 148 to motor and pump terminals 149. Lines 150 extend from these terminals through switches 151 responsive to the aforementioned belt control microswitch 43 and through overload elements 152 to terminals of the belt drive motor 32. Other lines 153 also extend from these terminals 149 through pump control switches 154 and overload elements 155 to terminals of a vacuum pump 156 that creates suction in the suction manifold 50 and an air pump 157 that supplies air under pressure to the manifold air conduit 80.

Connected to two of the main lines 146 are lines 158 extending across fuses 159 to a transformer 160. Part of the output from the transformer 160 is taken by two lines 161 through a rectifier 162, fuses 163, and normally open switches 164 to two of the motor lines 150 for applying an internal braking current to the windings of the motor 32 when the switches 164 are closed.

Another part of the output of the transformer 160 is taken off by main sensing means power source lines 165 that extend across fuses 166 to the aforementioned first and second main power source terminals 110 and 130, respectively, of each sensing means circuit 105. Connected across the main sensing means power source lines 165 is a light 167 that serves to indicate that the circuits are energized.

Also connected in parallel across the main sensing means power source lines 165 are a pump control line 168, a belt drive disconnect line 169, an on-off control line 170, a time controlled line 171, a belt responsive timing relay line 172, a circuit timing line 173, and a belt drive braking line 174.

The pump control line 168 includes pump control relays and 176 and a manual switch 177, which, when closed, energizes the pump control relays 175 and 176 that function to close the switches 154 to the pumps 156 and 157 for ener gization thereof and to close normally open switches 178 and 179 thereof located in the belt drive disconnect line 169, which contains a belt drive control relay 180 that includes the normally open switches 151 in the drive motor lines 150 and a normally closed switch 181 in the belt drive braking line 174 for braking of the belt when the pumps 156 and 157 are not energized. The belt drive disconnect line 169 also includes a bypass line 182 containing a manual switch 183 for overriding the pump relay switches 178 and 179 for operation of the machine 20 without operation of the pumps 156 and 157.

The on-off control line 170 contains a normally closed manual stop switch 184, a normally open manual start switch 185, and a time control relay 186. The time control relay 186 includes a normally open holding switch 187 in a line 188 that bypasses the start switch 185 for holding the time control relay 186 active upon release of the start switch 185. The time control relay 186 also contains a normally open switch 189 in the time controlled line 171.

The belt responsive timing relay line 172 includes a first timer 190 and the aforementioned belt responsive microswitch 43, which closes the line 172 when a belt hole 42 is engaged by the switch 43, thereby energizing the first timer 190 to open for a set time its normally closed switch 191 in the time controlled relay line 171, thereby deenergizing a timing relay 192 and a sensing control relay 193 in the line 171. The timing relay 192 includes a normally open switch 194 in the belt drive disconnect line 169 that maintains the belt drive switches 151 open, a normally closed switch 195 in the circuit timing line 173 for energization of second and third timers 196 and 197 in the line 173, a normally closed switch 198 in the belt drive braking line 174, and a normally open switch 199 in the bypass line 188 of the on-ofi control line 170, which switch 199 is itself bypassed by a removable link 200. When the link 200 is removed the machine 20 will require manual starting after each belt dwell period.

The sensing control relay 193 contains a normally closed switch 201 in a sensing control line 202 connected between one of the main-sensing means power source lines 165 and the aforementioned sensing control line terminals 115 for energization of the circuits of the first and second relays 114 and 119 of each sensing means circuit 105 during each belt dwell period.

The second timer 196 includes a normally closed switch 203 in the belt drive braking line 174, which holds for a short period, such as one second, to energize a belt-braking relay 204 that functions to close the aforementioned brake switches 164 in the lines 161 to impose a braking current on the motor 32. The belt-braking relay 204 also includes a switch 205 in the belt drive disconnect line 169 to assure power cut off to the motor 32 during braking.

The second timer 196 also includes a normally open switch 206 in a timing line 207 that is connected between the timing relay switch 198 in the belt drive braking line 174 and the aforementioned timing line terminals 127 at the sensing means circuits 105. This timing line 207 also includes the normally closed switch 208 of the third timer 197. The third timer 197 is set for a time longer than the second timer 196, such as two seconds, so that after the one second setting of the second timer 196 has expired, its timing line switch 206 will close, energizing the timing line 207 for the next second, until the third timer relay switch 208 opens, during which second second the stocking transferring components at the stocking transfer stations 24 will be energized through the third sensing means relays 126 in response to the stocking sensing effected during the previous second.

The first timer 190 controls the dwell period between belt movements and is set to the capability of the operator in placing stockings S on the belt 21. During the period in which the first timer 190 is energized by closing of belt hole engaging switch 43, the resulting open timer switch 191 and, therefore, open timing relay 192 will effect belt drive disconnect by the open switch 194 and belt drive braking by the closed switch 198. During this timing period, the sensing control relay 193 effects sequential energization of the sensing control line 202 for stocking sensing by the sensing means 30 and the timing line 207 for stocking transfer by the nozzles 25. At the end of the time period to which the first timer 190 is set, the timer switch 191 will close, thereby actuating the timing relay 192 and the sensing control relay 193, which cause, through their above-described switches, closing of the belt disconnect line 169 for resumption of belt drive, opening of the circuit timing line 173 to deenergize the second and third timers 196 and 197, opening of the timing and sensing control lines 207 and 202 to deenergize the sensing means circuits 105, and opening of the belt drive braking line 204 to remove the internal electrical brake on the motor 32. These conditions will be maintained during resumed belt movement as the belt hole engaging switch 43 will move out of belt hole engagement, thereby opening the belt responsive timing relay line 172 and closing the time controlled line 171 to maintain the timing and sensing control relays 192 and 193 energized. When the belt hole engaging switch 43 engages the next belt hole 42, it will again close the belt responsive timing relay line 172, stopping the belt 21 and repeating the sensing and transfer operations.

Preparatory to operating the machine 20, the main isolator switch 147 and the pump control switch 177 are closed. The machine is then placed in operation by closing the start switch 185, which causes the belt 21 to advance intermittently, with the operator placing stockings S individually from the supply platform 40 onto the belt 21 at the loading station 23 during the intermediate dwell periods. When a stocking S is placed on the belt 21, it is inspected for flaws, with defective stockings being removed by the operator. If a stocking is too short to cover a portion of the belt slot 41, the operator can either remove it at the loading station 23 or allow it to pass through the machine and be discharged from the belt 21 at the rear of the machine 20. As such a short stocking does not cover a belt slot 41, the upper sensing component 84 of the inner pair 82 at each stocking transfer station 24 would function to actuate the first relay 114 of its sensing means circuit 105, which prevents article transferring actuation of the second relay 119 so that the short stocking will pass untransferred through each transfer station 24.

Stockings S of lengths at least sufficient to cover a portion of the belt slots 41 will advance sequentially from one transfer station 24 to the next until each is at a station at which it extends past the inner pair of sensing components 82 but not as far as the outer pair 83. This will cause the first sensing means relay 114 to be inactive and the second sensing means relay 119 to be active, thereby activating the third sensing means relay 126, which, through its switches, energizes the actuator 74 of the butterfly valve 49 to create stocking engaging and holding suction in the nozzle 25, and energizes the nozzle advancing solenoid to cause the nozzle to move in its stocking transferring stroke to transfer the stocking S to the adjacent receiving tray 29. When the nozzle 25 reaches the end of the stocking transferring stroke, the switch 71 at the outer end of the support beam 54 is shifted by the cam block 72 on the guide rail 56, thereby activating nozzle return solenoid 137 to cause the nozzle 25 to move in its return stroke and deactivating the third sensing means relay 126 to reverse the butterfly valve actuator 74 for discontinuance of suction in the nozzle 25.

As the outer sensing means component pairs 83 are progressively farther out, a stocking that extends between the components of an outer pair 83, rendering the second sensing means relay 1 19 inactive to prevent stocking transfer, at a forward transfer station will pass on untransferred until it reaches a station where it is short of the outer pair, and stockings longer than the length sensed at any of the preceding stations will be removed at the last station.

When there is no stocking on the belt 21 at a transferring station, or there is a stocking too short to extend to the belt slot 41, the inner sensing component pair will act to actuate the first sensing means relay 114, thereby preventing the third sensing means relay 126 to effect a transferring operation.

Every time a stocking S is transferred at each stocking transfer station 24, the corresponding sensing means circuit 106 energizes the associated counter 142 to advance the visual indication of the number of stockings S that have been transferred at each station. The counters 142 are located on the front of the frame 31 facing the loading station 23 so that they may be conveniently observed by the operator, who notes when a predetermined number of stockings has been collected on any one of the receiving trays 29, which tray will then be removed and replaced with an empty tray.

Also for the convenience of the operator, the start switch 185, stop switch 184, and operating light 167 are mounted on the side of the frame 31 at the loading station 23.

For convenience in servicing the electrical circuit 144, the main components andterminals are mounted on a side panel 209 (FIG. 12) of the frame 31 adjacent the loading station 23.

The foregoing detailed description and accompanying drawings are provided for the purpose of illustration only and the scope of the present invention is not intended to be specifically limited thereto as various modifications may be made in the disclosed machine and its operation within the scope of the present invention. For example, the invention can be adapted for handling various flaccid articles other than stockings, and, although the above-described air sensing is preferred, other types of sensing, such as photocells, could be used within the scope of the present invention.

l claim:

It. A method of transferring flaccid articles comprising the steps of placing a flaccid article on a supporting surface in a particular orientation, disposing a movable suction nozzle at an article-engaging location adjacent an edge portion of said article, creating suction in said nozzle to cause said article edge to be engaged and held by said nozzle while advancing said nozzle with said article edge portion held thereby in a direction in which said article edge portion is leading to transport said article to a horizontal receiving surface separate from and at a level below said supporting surface and at a transferring velocity sufficient to maintain said article off said receiving surface during transferring, discontinuing suction in said nozzle to release said article onto said receiving surface, and returning said nozzle to said article engaging location.

2. A method of transferring flaccid articles according to claim 1 and characterized further in that said step of advancing said article is performed at a velocity controlled to deposit said article in a substantially flat condition on said receiving surface.

3. A method of transferring flaccid articles comprising the steps of placing flaccid articles sequentially at a predetermined spacing and in a particular orientation on a horizontal conveyor belt that moves in a lengthwise direction, disposing a plurality of movable suction nozzles superjacent said conveyor belt at article-engaging locations adjacent the path of edge portions of said articles and at spacings equivalent to said predetermined article spacing, creating suction in selected nozzles in timed relation to the disposition of articles thereat to cause the article edge portions of the articles at said selected nozzles to be engaged and held thereby while advancing said selected nozzles with said article edge portions held thereby in a direction transverse to said conveyor belt with said article edge portions leading to transport said articles off said belt to transferred locations, discontinuing said suction to release said articles at said transferred locations, and returning said selected nozzles to said article engaging locations.

4. A method of transferring flaccid articles according to claim 3, and characterized further by the steps of sensing a characteristic of said articles while said articles are on said belt, and selecting nozzles for suction and advance in response to said sensing.

5. A method of transferring flaccid articles according to claim 4, and characterized further in that said sensing is performed adjacent each of said article-engaging locations of said nozzles.

6. A method of transferring flaccid articles according to claim 4, and characterized further in that said sensing senses a dimensional characteristic of said articles.

7. A method of transferring flaccid articles according to claim 6, and characterized further in that said sensing senses the presence of articles of progressively varying dimensional extent at successive nozzle locations.

8. A method of transferring flaccid articles according to claim 3, and characterized further in that said conveyor belt moves intermittently to dispose said articles at said nozzle locations during the dwell of the belt between intermittent movements, and said steps of placing articles on said belt and creating suction while advancing said selected nozzles are performed during the dwell of the belt.

9. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles comprising a supporting surface disposed for supporting a flaccid article in a particular orientation, a movable suction nozzle disposed adjacent said supporting surface at an article engaging location at which an edge portion of an article oriented on said supporting surface will be disposed between said suction nozzle and said supporting surface, means for creating suction in said nozzle to cause the edge portion of an oriented article adjacent said nozzle to be engaged and held thereby, and means for moving said suction noule with said article edge portion engaged and held thereby in a direction in which said article edge portion is leading to transport the article to a predetermined transferred location, said nozzle moving means being operable to move said suction nozzle in an article transferring stroke and a return stroke, said suction creating means being operable in relation to movement of said nozzle to create and maintain article engaging and holding suction during said article transferring stroke and to discontinue suction upon completion of said article transferring stroke and during said return stroke, said suction creating means being extendable in the direction of nozzle movement to maintain suction in said nozzle during movement thereof and includes a stationary suction tube axially aligned with the direction of nozzle movement and a movable suction tube having an end connected to said nozzle and telescopingly slidable in said stationary suction tube for movement with said nozzle.

10. An apparatus for transporting flaccid articles according to claim 9, and characterized further in that said movable suction tube has an air port normally inoperatively disposed within said stationary suction tube and operatively exposed exteriorly of said stationary suction tube upon movement of said movable suction tube to the end of said article transferring stroke at which said air port allows air to enter said movable suction tube to facilitate discontinuance of article engaging and holding suction in said nozzle.

11. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles comprising a supporting surface disposed for supporting a flaccid article in a particular orientation, a movable suction nozzle disposed adjacent said supporting surface at an article engaging location at which an edge portion of an article oriented on said supporting surface will be disposed between said suction nozzle and said supporting surface, means for creating suction in said nozzle to cause the edge portion of an oriented article adjacent said nozzle to be engaged and held thereby, means for moving said suction nozzle with said article edge portion engaged and held thereby in a direction in which said article edge portion is leading to transport the article to a receiving surface separate from said supporting surface, said supporting surface and said receiving surface being generally horizontally disposed with said receiving surface spaced below the horizontal level of said supporting surface, said moving means being operable to move said nozzle generally horizontally in an article-transferring stroke and a return stroke of sufficient extent to remove the article completely from the supporting surface and at a velocity sufficient to maintain an article being transferred in a position above said receiving surface and any previously transferred articles stacked thereon for deposit of transferred articles in flat extended condition on said receiving surface or previously transferred article stack at the end of said article-transferring stroke, and said suction creating means being operable in relation to movement of said nozzle to create and maintain article engaging and holding suction during said article transferring stroke and to discontinue suction upon completion of said article transferring stroke and during said return stroke. I

12. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles comprising a supporting surface disposed for supporting a flaccid article in a particular orientation, a movable suction nozzle disposed adjacent said supporting surface at an article-engaging location at which an edge portion of an article oriented on said supporting surface will be disposed between said suction nozzle and said supporting surface, means for creating suction in said nozzle to cause the edge portion of an oriented article adjacent said nozzle to be engaged and held thereby, means for moving said suction nozzle in an article-transferring stroke with said article edge portion engaged and held thereby in a direction in which said article edge portion is leading to transport the article to a predetermined transferred location and in a return stroke, said suction creating means being operable in relation to movement of said nozzle to create and maintain article engaging and holding suction during said article-transferring stroke and to discontinue suction upon completion of said article transferring stroke and during said return stroke, and means for sensing an article oriented on said supporting surface, said suction creating means and nozzle moving means being operable to transfer an article in response to said sensing means.

13. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 12, and characterized further in that said sensing means senses the presence of an article having a particular characteristic, and said suction creating means and nozzle moving means are operable in response to said sensing means to transport an article that is sensed to have said particular characteristic.

14. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 13 and characterized further in that the article characteristic sensed by said sensing means is a dimensional characteristic.

15. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 14 and characterized further in that said supporting surface is formed with an aperture at the location at which said sensing means senses an article having said dimensional characteristic, and said sensing means includes opposed components between which said aperture is disposed for sensing of an article thereat.

16. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 15 and characterized further in that one of said sensing means components emits an air jet through said aperture, and the other of said sensing means components is responsive to said air jet for sensing the presence of an article in the path of said air jet at said aperture.

17. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 14, and characterized further in that said supporting surface is formed with an aperture at the location at which said sensing means senses an article having said dimensional characteristic, and said sensing means includes two pairs of opposed components with said aperture disposed between the components of each pair, said pairs of components being spaced apart in the direction of said dimensional characteristic, said pairs of components cooperating to sense the presence at said aperture of an article having a dimensional characteristic that disposes said article between the components of the pair that is inward with respect to the direction of said dimensional characteristic and not between the components of the pair that is outward with respect to the direction of said dimensional characteristic.

18. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles comprising a supporting surface disposed for supporting a flaccid article in a particular orientation, a movable suction nozzle disposed adjacent said supporting surface at an article-engaging location at which an edge portion of an article oriented on said supporting surface will be disposed between said suction nozzle and said supporting surface, means for creating suction in said nozzle to cause the edge portion of an oriented article adjacent said nozzle to be engaged and held thereby, means for moving said suction nozzle in an article-transferring stroke with said article edge portion engaged and held thereby in a direction in which said article edge portion is leading to transport the article to a predetermined transferred location and in a return stroke, said suction creating means being operable in relation to movement of said nozzle to create and maintain article engaging and holding suction during said article-transferring stroke and to discontinue suction upon completion of said article-transferring stroke and during said return stroke, a conveyor belt having a surface that forms said supporting surface and extends in advance of said suction nozzle for placing articles sequentially thereon for advancement to said suction nozzle in an orientation in which the article edge portions to be engaged by the suction nozzle extend lengthwise with respect to said conveyor, and means for moving said conveyor belt lengthwise to advance oriented articles sequentially to said suction nozzle, said suction nozzle being moved by said nozzle moving means transversely with respect to said conveyor belt for transverse removal of articles from said conveyor belt.

19. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 18 and characterized further in that said conveyor belt moving means moves said conveyor belt intermittently with a dwell during the article-transferring stroke of said suction nozzle.

20. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 19, and characterized further by means for controlling said conveyor belt moving means comprising a plurality of formations on said conveyor belt at spacings equivalent to the spacing of the sequentially placed articles thereon and a stationary sensor disposed in the path of movement of said formations and responsive to the presence of a formation thereat to cause said conveyor belt moving means to effect said dwell.

21. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles comprising a conveyor belt having an article-supporting surface disposed for supporting a plurality of equally spaced, commonly oriented, flaccid articles, means for moving said conveyor belt lengthwise to advance supported articles sequentially, a plurality of movable suction nozzles disposed adjacent said conveyor belt surface at article-engaging locations aligned at lengthwise spacings along said belt equivalent to the spacing of articles and aligned with article edge portions that extend generally lengthwise with respect to said belt for simultaneous disposition of sequentially advancing articles at said articleengaging locations with said article edge portions between said nozzles and said supporting surface, means for creating suction in said nozzles when articles are disposed at said nozzles to cause said article edge portions to be engaged and held thereby, and means for moving said suction nozzles when articles are disposed at said nozzles in an article-transferring stroke generally transverse to said belt in a direction in which said article edge portions are leading and in a return stroke,

said suction creating means being operable in relation to movement of said nozzles to create and maintain article engaging and holding suction during said article transferring stroke for transporting articles to predetermined transferred locations and to discontinue suction upon completion of said article-transferring stroke and during said return stroke.

22. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 21 and characterized further by means for selectively operating said suction creating means and said nozzle moving means for selective nozzle operation to transport articles selectively to transferred locations as the articles are sequentially advanced to said nozzles.

23. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 22 and characterized further in that said conveyor belt moving means moves said conveyor belt in intermittent movements equivalent to the spacing of articles for sequential disposition of articles at said suction nozzles during intermediate dwell periods, and said suction creating means and said nozzle moving means operate to transfer articles during said dwell periods.

24. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 22 and characterized further in that said selectively operating means includes means for sensing a particular characteristic of said articles on said belt, and said selectively operating means is responsive to said sensing means for selective nozzle operation to transfer articles selectively in accordance with the sensed characteristic thereof.

25. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 24 and characterized further in that said sensing means senses a dimensional characteristic of the articles, and said suction creating means and said nozzle moving means are operable in response to said sensing means to cause each nozzle to transfer sequentially advanced articles having the same sensed dimensional characteristic to a particular transferred location and to cause different nozzles to transfer articles having diiTerent sensed dimensional characteristics to different transferred locations.

26. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 25 and characterized further in that said sensing means functions adjacent each nozzle disposition to sense the presence of sequentially advanced articles thereat having the particular dimensional characteristic of the articles to be transferred by the adjacent nozzle, and said selectively operating means operates said suction creating means and said nozzle moving means in response to said sensing means to cause each nozzle to transfer sequentially advanced articles that are sensed to have said particular dimensional characteristic.

27. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 26 and characterized further in that said sensing means senses progressively varying dimensional characteristics at sequential nozzle dispositions.

28. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 27 and characterized further in that said sensing means has a sensing component adjacent each nozzle disposition with the sensing means component adjacent the first nozzle to which articles are sequentially advanced sensing the presence of an article having a dimensional extent in the direction of said dimensional characteristic at least as great as a predetermined extent and each of the sensing means components adjacent nozzle dispositions to which the articles are sequentially advanced sensing the presence of articles having dimensional extents greater than progressively lesser predetermined extents.

29. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 26 and characterize further in that said sensing ans has two sensing components adjacent each of substantially all noule dispositions with one of each said two components sensing the presence of an article having a dimensional extent in the direction of said dimensional characteristic at least as great as a first predetermined extent and the other of each of said two components sensing the absence of an article having a dimensional extent at least as great as a second predetermined extent that is greater than the first predetermined extent, said sensing components combining to sense the presence of an article having a dimensional extent at least as great as said first predetermined extent and less than said second predetermined extent.

30. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 29 and characterized further in that said other sensing components are disposed for sensing at progressively greater dimensional extents at sequential nozzle dispositions.

31. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 30 and characterized further in that said one component adjacent each nozzle disposition is disposed at the same dimensional extent as said one component adjacent each of the other nozzle dispositions.

32. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 31, and characterized further in that adjacent the last of the sequential nozzle dispositions said sensing means has only a single-sensing component, said single-sensing component being disposed at a dimensional extent of the articles less than the greatest dimensional extent disposition of any of said other sensing components for sensing the presence of any article having an equivalent or greater dimensional extent.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Ptent all-3:883 Dated Octoher 19, 1971 Invgntr(5) Leslie Starbuck It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 18, "laidout" should read laid-out line 28, "laidout" should read laid-out line 38, "laidout" should read laid-out line 52, "laidout" should read laid-out line 56, "laidout" should read laid-out Column 2, line 69, delete "aligned" (first occurrence) Column 6, line 29, "laidout" should read laid-out Column 8, line 27, after "the" insert outer line 33, "increases" should read increased Column 12, line 65, "106" should read 105 Column 18, line 1, "ans" should read means Signed and sealed this 9th day of May 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSGHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. A method of transferring flaccid articles comprising the steps of placing a flaccid article on a supporting surface in a particular orientation, disposing a movable suction nozzle at an article-engaging location adjacent an edge portion of said article, creating suction in said nozzle to cause said article edge to be engaged and held by said nozzle while advancing said nozzle with said article edge portion held thereby in a direction in which said article edge portion is leading to transport said article to a horizontal receiving surface separate from and at a level below said supporting surface and at a transferring velocity sufficient to maintain said article off said receiving surface during transferring, discontinuing suction in said nozzle to release said article onto said receiving surface, and returning said nozzle to said article engaging location.
 2. A method of transferring flaccid articles according to claim 1 and characterized further in that said step of advancing said article is performed at a velocity controlled to deposit said article in a substantially flat condition on said receiving surface.
 3. A method of transferring flaccid articles comprising the steps of placing flaccid articles sequentially at a predetermined spacing and in a particular orientation on a horizontal conveyor belt that moves in a lengthwise direction, disposing a plurality of movable suction nozzles superjacent said conveyor belt at article-engaging locations adjacent the path of edge portions of said articles and at spacings equivalent to said predetermined article spacing, creating suction in selected nozzles in timed relation to the disposition of articles thereat to cause the article edge portions of the articles at said selected nozzles to be engaged and held thereby while advancing said selected nozzles with said article edge portions held thereby in a direction transverse to said conveyor belt with said article edge portions leading to transport said articles off said belt to transferred locations, discontinuing said suction to release sAid articles at said transferred locations, and returning said selected nozzles to said article engaging locations.
 4. A method of transferring flaccid articles according to claim 3, and characterized further by the steps of sensing a characteristic of said articles while said articles are on said belt, and selecting nozzles for suction and advance in response to said sensing.
 5. A method of transferring flaccid articles according to claim 4, and characterized further in that said sensing is performed adjacent each of said article-engaging locations of said nozzles.
 6. A method of transferring flaccid articles according to claim 4, and characterized further in that said sensing senses a dimensional characteristic of said articles.
 7. A method of transferring flaccid articles according to claim 6, and characterized further in that said sensing senses the presence of articles of progressively varying dimensional extent at successive nozzle locations.
 8. A method of transferring flaccid articles according to claim 3, and characterized further in that said conveyor belt moves intermittently to dispose said articles at said nozzle locations during the dwell of the belt between intermittent movements, and said steps of placing articles on said belt and creating suction while advancing said selected nozzles are performed during the dwell of the belt.
 9. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles comprising a supporting surface disposed for supporting a flaccid article in a particular orientation, a movable suction nozzle disposed adjacent said supporting surface at an article engaging location at which an edge portion of an article oriented on said supporting surface will be disposed between said suction nozzle and said supporting surface, means for creating suction in said nozzle to cause the edge portion of an oriented article adjacent said nozzle to be engaged and held thereby, and means for moving said suction nozzle with said article edge portion engaged and held thereby in a direction in which said article edge portion is leading to transport the article to a predetermined transferred location, said nozzle moving means being operable to move said suction nozzle in an article transferring stroke and a return stroke, said suction creating means being operable in relation to movement of said nozzle to create and maintain article engaging and holding suction during said article transferring stroke and to discontinue suction upon completion of said article transferring stroke and during said return stroke, said suction creating means being extendable in the direction of nozzle movement to maintain suction in said nozzle during movement thereof and includes a stationary suction tube axially aligned with the direction of nozzle movement and a movable suction tube having an end connected to said nozzle and telescopingly slidable in said stationary suction tube for movement with said nozzle.
 10. An apparatus for transporting flaccid articles according to claim 9, and characterized further in that said movable suction tube has an air port normally inoperatively disposed within said stationary suction tube and operatively exposed exteriorly of said stationary suction tube upon movement of said movable suction tube to the end of said article transferring stroke at which said air port allows air to enter said movable suction tube to facilitate discontinuance of article engaging and holding suction in said nozzle.
 11. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles comprising a supporting surface disposed for supporting a flaccid article in a particular orientation, a movable suction nozzle disposed adjacent said supporting surface at an article engaging location at which an edge portion of an article oriented on said supporting surface will be disposed between said suction nozzle and said supporting surface, means for creating suction in said nozzle to cause the edge portion of an oriented article adjacent said nozzle to be engaged and held thereby, means for moVing said suction nozzle with said article edge portion engaged and held thereby in a direction in which said article edge portion is leading to transport the article to a receiving surface separate from said supporting surface, said supporting surface and said receiving surface being generally horizontally disposed with said receiving surface spaced below the horizontal level of said supporting surface, said moving means being operable to move said nozzle generally horizontally in an article-transferring stroke and a return stroke of sufficient extent to remove the article completely from the supporting surface and at a velocity sufficient to maintain an article being transferred in a position above said receiving surface and any previously transferred articles stacked thereon for deposit of transferred articles in flat extended condition on said receiving surface or previously transferred article stack at the end of said article-transferring stroke, and said suction creating means being operable in relation to movement of said nozzle to create and maintain article engaging and holding suction during said article transferring stroke and to discontinue suction upon completion of said article transferring stroke and during said return stroke.
 12. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles comprising a supporting surface disposed for supporting a flaccid article in a particular orientation, a movable suction nozzle disposed adjacent said supporting surface at an article-engaging location at which an edge portion of an article oriented on said supporting surface will be disposed between said suction nozzle and said supporting surface, means for creating suction in said nozzle to cause the edge portion of an oriented article adjacent said nozzle to be engaged and held thereby, means for moving said suction nozzle in an article-transferring stroke with said article edge portion engaged and held thereby in a direction in which said article edge portion is leading to transport the article to a predetermined transferred location and in a return stroke, said suction creating means being operable in relation to movement of said nozzle to create and maintain article engaging and holding suction during said article-transferring stroke and to discontinue suction upon completion of said article transferring stroke and during said return stroke, and means for sensing an article oriented on said supporting surface, said suction creating means and nozzle moving means being operable to transfer an article in response to said sensing means.
 13. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 12, and characterized further in that said sensing means senses the presence of an article having a particular characteristic, and said suction creating means and nozzle moving means are operable in response to said sensing means to transport an article that is sensed to have said particular characteristic.
 14. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 13 and characterized further in that the article characteristic sensed by said sensing means is a dimensional characteristic.
 15. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 14 and characterized further in that said supporting surface is formed with an aperture at the location at which said sensing means senses an article having said dimensional characteristic, and said sensing means includes opposed components between which said aperture is disposed for sensing of an article thereat.
 16. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 15 and characterized further in that one of said sensing means components emits an air jet through said aperture, and the other of said sensing means components is responsive to said air jet for sensing the presence of an article in the path of said air jet at said aperture.
 17. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 14, and characterized further in that said supporting surface is formed with an apErture at the location at which said sensing means senses an article having said dimensional characteristic, and said sensing means includes two pairs of opposed components with said aperture disposed between the components of each pair, said pairs of components being spaced apart in the direction of said dimensional characteristic, said pairs of components cooperating to sense the presence at said aperture of an article having a dimensional characteristic that disposes said article between the components of the pair that is inward with respect to the direction of said dimensional characteristic and not between the components of the pair that is outward with respect to the direction of said dimensional characteristic.
 18. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles comprising a supporting surface disposed for supporting a flaccid article in a particular orientation, a movable suction nozzle disposed adjacent said supporting surface at an article-engaging location at which an edge portion of an article oriented on said supporting surface will be disposed between said suction nozzle and said supporting surface, means for creating suction in said nozzle to cause the edge portion of an oriented article adjacent said nozzle to be engaged and held thereby, means for moving said suction nozzle in an article-transferring stroke with said article edge portion engaged and held thereby in a direction in which said article edge portion is leading to transport the article to a predetermined transferred location and in a return stroke, said suction creating means being operable in relation to movement of said nozzle to create and maintain article engaging and holding suction during said article-transferring stroke and to discontinue suction upon completion of said article-transferring stroke and during said return stroke, a conveyor belt having a surface that forms said supporting surface and extends in advance of said suction nozzle for placing articles sequentially thereon for advancement to said suction nozzle in an orientation in which the article edge portions to be engaged by the suction nozzle extend lengthwise with respect to said conveyor, and means for moving said conveyor belt lengthwise to advance oriented articles sequentially to said suction nozzle, said suction nozzle being moved by said nozzle moving means transversely with respect to said conveyor belt for transverse removal of articles from said conveyor belt.
 19. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 18 and characterized further in that said conveyor belt moving means moves said conveyor belt intermittently with a dwell during the article-transferring stroke of said suction nozzle.
 20. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 19, and characterized further by means for controlling said conveyor belt moving means comprising a plurality of formations on said conveyor belt at spacings equivalent to the spacing of the sequentially placed articles thereon and a stationary sensor disposed in the path of movement of said formations and responsive to the presence of a formation thereat to cause said conveyor belt moving means to effect said dwell.
 21. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles comprising a conveyor belt having an article-supporting surface disposed for supporting a plurality of equally spaced, commonly oriented, flaccid articles, means for moving said conveyor belt lengthwise to advance supported articles sequentially, a plurality of movable suction nozzles disposed adjacent said conveyor belt surface at article-engaging locations aligned at lengthwise spacings along said belt equivalent to the spacing of articles and aligned with article edge portions that extend generally lengthwise with respect to said belt for simultaneous disposition of sequentially advancing articles at said article-engaging locations with said article edge portions between said nozzles and said supporting surface, means for creating suction in said nozzles when articles are disposed at said nozzles to cause said article edge portions to be engaged and held thereby, and means for moving said suction nozzles when articles are disposed at said nozzles in an article-transferring stroke generally transverse to said belt in a direction in which said article edge portions are leading and in a return stroke, said suction creating means being operable in relation to movement of said nozzles to create and maintain article engaging and holding suction during said article transferring stroke for transporting articles to predetermined transferred locations and to discontinue suction upon completion of said article-transferring stroke and during said return stroke.
 22. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 21 and characterized further by means for selectively operating said suction creating means and said nozzle moving means for selective nozzle operation to transport articles selectively to transferred locations as the articles are sequentially advanced to said nozzles.
 23. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 22 and characterized further in that said conveyor belt moving means moves said conveyor belt in intermittent movements equivalent to the spacing of articles for sequential disposition of articles at said suction nozzles during intermediate dwell periods, and said suction creating means and said nozzle moving means operate to transfer articles during said dwell periods.
 24. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 22 and characterized further in that said selectively operating means includes means for sensing a particular characteristic of said articles on said belt, and said selectively operating means is responsive to said sensing means for selective nozzle operation to transfer articles selectively in accordance with the sensed characteristic thereof.
 25. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 24 and characterized further in that said sensing means senses a dimensional characteristic of the articles, and said suction creating means and said nozzle moving means are operable in response to said sensing means to cause each nozzle to transfer sequentially advanced articles having the same sensed dimensional characteristic to a particular transferred location and to cause different nozzles to transfer articles having different sensed dimensional characteristics to different transferred locations.
 26. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 25 and characterized further in that said sensing means functions adjacent each nozzle disposition to sense the presence of sequentially advanced articles thereat having the particular dimensional characteristic of the articles to be transferred by the adjacent nozzle, and said selectively operating means operates said suction creating means and said nozzle moving means in response to said sensing means to cause each nozzle to transfer sequentially advanced articles that are sensed to have said particular dimensional characteristic.
 27. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 26 and characterized further in that said sensing means senses progressively varying dimensional characteristics at sequential nozzle dispositions.
 28. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 27 and characterized further in that said sensing means has a sensing component adjacent each nozzle disposition with the sensing means component adjacent the first nozzle to which articles are sequentially advanced sensing the presence of an article having a dimensional extent in the direction of said dimensional characteristic at least as great as a predetermined extent and each of the sensing means components adjacent nozzle dispositions to which the articles are sequentially advanced sensing the presence of articles having dimensional extents greater than progressively lesser predetermined extents.
 29. An apparatus for transferring fLaccid articles according to claim 26 and characterized further in that said sensing ans has two sensing components adjacent each of substantially all nozzle dispositions with one of each said two components sensing the presence of an article having a dimensional extent in the direction of said dimensional characteristic at least as great as a first predetermined extent and the other of each of said two components sensing the absence of an article having a dimensional extent at least as great as a second predetermined extent that is greater than the first predetermined extent, said sensing components combining to sense the presence of an article having a dimensional extent at least as great as said first predetermined extent and less than said second predetermined extent.
 30. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 29 and characterized further in that said other sensing components are disposed for sensing at progressively greater dimensional extents at sequential nozzle dispositions.
 31. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 30 and characterized further in that said one component adjacent each nozzle disposition is disposed at the same dimensional extent as said one component adjacent each of the other nozzle dispositions.
 32. An apparatus for transferring flaccid articles according to claim 31, and characterized further in that adjacent the last of the sequential nozzle dispositions said sensing means has only a single-sensing component, said single-sensing component being disposed at a dimensional extent of the articles less than the greatest dimensional extent disposition of any of said other sensing components for sensing the presence of any article having an equivalent or greater dimensional extent. 